Giant jellyfish with tentacles up to 120 feet long are swarming US beaches, with officials warning that even dead creatures can sting.
Swarms of lion’s mane jellyfish have turned up along the New England coast, apparently by the thousands.
The creatures have been spotted from Massachusetts’ North Shore to Cape Cod and Nantucket, with some drifting as far north as Maine.
Great Marsh Kayak Tours in Eastham, Massachusetts, said on X: ‘Right now, Cape Cod is inundated with lion’s mane jellyfish! Multiple thousands of them have gotten swept into the marsh with the tides.’
The creature’s tentacles carry a large amount of neurotoxins that cause a sharp, burning sensation. The pain can quickly escalate over an hour and is accompanied by red welts, itching, and potential muscle cramps, headaches or nausea.
The beach town of Beverly in Massachusetts said last week: ‘Keep children and pets away from stranded jellyfish. … Do not touch jellyfish or detached tentacles, even if they appear dead.’
The jellyfish is known to sting even 25 days after they have died.
Experts say the surge in lion’s mane jellyfish is being driven by warming ocean temperatures, wind and tidal currents, abundant food sources, and sheltered coastal waters that allow the creatures to thrive before washing ashore.